This was a bedsheet

When visiting my local thrift store, I always love checking out the bed/linens section. This time I found some lovely floral and tattersall checkered bedsheets, perfect for a summer thrift flip!

When looking for the perfect material to repurpose into clothing, make sure to check the fibers have at least 50% cotton.
This ensures your picnic dress is as breathable as possible, over a synthetic which would result in being quite hot!

Steps:

1. Using 129/130 patterns from my Lutterloh, for a sweetheart neckline, ruffled sleeves, and flowy bottom skirt.

2. Once drafted, cut out the pattern on both your outer fabric and lining material.

3. Pin the darts for the front and back and sew along the line.

4. Repeat on the front lining bodice and back lining.

5. Press all the sewn seams away from the center of the body.

6. Taking your cut strap pieces, find the more curved edge needed to create a ruffled sleeve.

7. Using a rolled hem foot, hem the curved edge of the ruffle.

8. Using a gathering stitch on the raw edge, take a larger stitch length, sew two lines along the edge, and pull both threads to create a ruffled effect.

9. Repeat this for each side.

10. Taking the ruffles and two strap pieces, pin them in between the layers.

11. Sew using a straight stitch.

12. Tuck the ruffled sleeve inside the two straps, and sew the other side shut, ensuring you don’t catch on the ruffles in the process.

13. Using a safety pin, pull the straps right side out.

14. Repeat this process for the other strap.

15. Determine where you'd like your straps to sit on the bodice and pin them in between the material and the lining, right sides together.

16. Sew the top of the bodice, ensuring the straps are also sewn into place, using a straight stitch.

17. Snip the material at the bottom of the sweetheart neckline and along the lines of the curve so the material can lie flat.

18. Secure the lining at the neckline using an understitch to prevent rolling toward the outside.

19. Press seams and flip the right sides out.

20. Repeat these steps for the back of the bodice, putting the right sides together and sewing shut.

21. Secure the lining at the top of the back panels using an understitch, and press seams flat.

22. Take the back, right sides together and aline the invisible zipper, pinning it in place.

23. Sew the zipper in place on both sides of the opening.

24. Fold the lining back over, and close the zipper up.

25. Take in the side seams of the bodice if needed to ensure it fits!

26. Taking the cut skirt pieces and the lining, gather them using a gathering stitch (as done on the ruffled sleeves) and leave an opening in the back middle for the zipper.

27. After achieving the desired ruffled effect, sew a basting stitch to hold it all in place.

28. Using a straight stitch, sew the bodice and the skirt's right sides together.

29. Repeat on the bodice and skirt lining using a straight stitch.

30. Sew the bottom half of the zipper into the rest of the skirt, making a seamless zipper throughout the dress.

31. Hem the bottom of the dress.